Israel constructing reservoir in Golan Heights; Syria upset

Wednesday, December 13, 2006 |
by Staff Writer

Israel is constructing a water reservoir in the Golan Heights, which has motivated Syria to announce its intention to host an Arab conference on water.

Nawaf Fares, governor of the Quneitra district of Syria, said the water reservoir that is now under construction in the eastern Golan is threatening the lives of the residents in the Quneitra district and also their property if it floods or if the dam that is being constructed would burst.

The Mei Golan Association is building the reservoir that would collect rainwater that the Syrians say would otherwise flow into the Yarmukh River.

The complaint by the Syrian Water Ministry is that Israel is responsible for the low flow of water into the Yarmukh and that it is illegal for Israel to impound the Golan Heights rainwater since the Golan is occupied Syrian territory.

The Mei Golan Association responded by saying that according to international law any country is allowed to impound rainwater that falls in its territory, and that the water would not reach the Yarmukh in any case, but it would actually run off into Syrian reservoirs.

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